Wand plant architecture in the Fynbos: Testing the rodent herbivory hypothesis

Bailey, Lauren A; Potts, A J; Cowling, R M; Whitfield, Maxine C; Smit, Ben

Title: Wand plant architecture in the Fynbos: Testing the rodent herbivory hypothesis
Creator: Bailey, Lauren A
Creator: Potts, A J
Creator: Cowling, R M
Creator: Whitfield, Maxine C
Creator: Smit, Ben
Subject: To be catalogued
Date Issued: 2019
Date: 2019
Type: text
Type: article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/440583
Identifier: vital:73795
Identifier: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2019.03.035
Description: Throughout the Cape Floristic Region, in a range of local environments, can be found a distinctive growth form: “wand” plants. This curious plant architecture comprises perennial plants which have slender (wand-like) stems that extend high above the matrix vegetation. We explore whether the evolution of wand-plants may have been driven by plant–herbivore interactions with rodents, where such architecture reduces access to nutrient rich flowers and seeds. To test this idea, we determined if (i) wand-plants were more flexible than non-wand congeners, and (ii) a stabilised wand plant was favoured for climbing (by laboratory mice) over a free-standing wand plant in a laboratory setting. Under a phylogenetic independent contrast framework, wand-plants were not more flexible (across a range of diameters) than non-wand congeners.
Format: 9 pages
Format: pdf
Language: English
Relation: South African journal of botany
Relation: Bailey, L.A., Potts, A.J., Cowling, R.M., Whitfield, M.C. and Smit, B., 2019. Wand plant architecture in the Fynbos: Testing the rodent herbivory hypothesis. South African journal of botany, 124, pp.564-572
Relation: South African journal of botany volume 124 number 1 1 9 2019
Rights: Publisher
Rights: Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Elsevier Terms and Conditions Statement (https://www.elsevier.com/legal/elsevier-website-terms-and-conditions)

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